[ICOM] 60 Mtr Operation with ICOM 746

[C.Whitaker]

de AFA3DJ   (USAF MARS)
The amateur radios being sold in USA are "type accepted" by
the FCC, and as such are engineered to be capable of transmitting
on certain bands of frequencies, although the radio can receive
throughout its coverage, 3 to 30 or whatever.  Usually these radios
can be modified to remove the inhibiting feature.  These mods are
often referred to as "opening up", or the "MARS modification".  If
a radio is modified to transmit on the 60Mtr band it makes it possible
to transmit on all frequencies on that radio.   MARS and CAP
frequencies can be found from 2 MHz up to 26 MHz, but the radio
circuitry, mostly band-pass filters, is designed to operate on the
amateur band frequencies.   There are two important notes:  First,
operating on an unauthorized frequency is very illegal, and Second,
the filters may not be compatible with the out-of-band frequency.
The filters could be gravely damaged.  The first indication that
all is not well is that the Power Output if not up to what it would
otherwise be, and worse case, the filter assemblies get unusually
hot.  It will depend somewhat on which brand of radio.  You can
understand why ICOM and others won't do the modification unless
they verify that there is a legitimate need.   I prefer that kind of a
modification to be a do-it-yourself thing.  And be sure to stay in
the legal side of the house.   TRIVAI.
73  Clete   a.k.a.   WB2CPN  and a few others before that.